zollman



Feb. 7, 1956 c. w. ZOLLMAN 2,733,521

GRAIN DRYING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 10, 1955 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENT OR ATTORNEYS Feb. 7, 1956 c. w. ZOLLMAN GRAIN DRYING APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 10, 1955 R INVENTOR 6. W2 0 Z Z man ATTORNEYS Unit Stat P tent t. nt ptiq s e st t lsl Tiiii iafir' i g m e V any; we device fo -"drying grain and other related "an stances;

xpieii ve to manufacam Hu :7": 11' we tex nc struction and asstasis treatment i s a a t cification when are 1, 'ldok I 1 re e selitioii ftaltefi on e nights 2', "lddltiii'g ihth'e Figure Sis a detail cross-sectional view reatness line 5--5 of figure 2-,ylooking-in the direction of the arrows. y l s Referring intestate estament? tothd'drawings, refer- Eii numeral designates,"in general; grain 'dryin'g-apfaafzitus hons'fructed in accordance with the teachings of ili instant'fiiwentionr 'As illustrated therein, the zgrain ai yihg apphfatus is .seen to ,compriselraln elongated-substantially hollow cylindrical member having a closure w ll 14 extendin'g aci'oss the ldWei end thereof and intiig' i'ally fainted "therewith;

The closure wall 14 is centrally apertured at 16 and receives therethrough one end of an elongated substantially hollow tubular conduit 18 having flanges 20, 22 disposed, respectively, adjacent the opposed ends thereof.

'As is clearly seen in Figure 2, the flange bears against the closure wall 14 and prevents displacement of the conduit in a downward direction.

The other end of the conduit 18 extends through a centrally positioned aperture 24 formed in the closure wall 26 disposed at one end of an elongated substantially hollow cylindrical member 28 formed of wire mesh. The closure wall 26 is seated on the flange 22 and is maintained thereby in spaced relation relative to the closure member 14.

A plurality of substantially triangularly shaped perforated spacers 30 extend between the cylindrical memventidn is to praise a drical t tiiiber 28, the sp erential spaced Isl lq f p and js ite amtam he cylindrical menih cdaltial alignment with the cylindrical fneii1 er e 7} To t e'otliiii-feiidfi'f thecbnduit 18 is fixedlyfseeiired by 1 j nye t n l,m s e 1 6f asec'nnd elongated stibst'antially lio llow "bylindr' all manner 36 for'nied of wireifiesh; Tlfe tlii'l than? the s 6nd emesn'e 'nn I ioits hip relalarconduitfis; Acdllah l sur'ro ds a d is secured to the arqrienlie itiefiaa adjacent attheeynnancai meiiif ber 36' ndcon'duit '8; Th cithierehd of the conduit 33 is seated 'a d iii g 42 formed in fa s1 taut llyc -r' ularr vane cover "member 14 havi'ri'g 'a laterally ex t endiii'g ctrcuitiiei en'tial flange '46. As seen in Figure 2 of Elie dFaiWiiis the cover member 44 extends 'enti'r across thee icial member 12;

I An openin M ed e-Eylmdricalmember '12'adjzt'ceiit l'closure wall 0 which is connected one end 'ofia c'tinduit ts; The 6 d 6f th'eonaun 48-is conii'ected; 5y ebfiveanbnai arenas; with the lower "end of a 60; and a removable 551E374 HGIlfi IC H fifi nt'statibnwini the drive shaft 76 of an electric motor 78. The motor 78 is formed with a flange 80, the latter being securecl' to the-side wall 58 ine blilfififlir sllasi by bolts "82. w The innerend "of the shtiftW'Weitthd's u-ghanbpenin '34 formed "the"side' walljfikand li'ebther ii'd thereof-extends f6 tli side 6 0 by b6lts 102 and is positioned within.

vided with a valve 106 mounted on a shaft 108 which projects through the side wall 60, the outer end of the shaft 108 having fixedly secured thereto an operating handle 110. The blower 64 dischargesthrough pipe 112 into the conduit 48. g

The bottom wall 52 of the plenum chamber 50 has an opening formed therein adjacent the end wall 56, the opening receiving therethrough one end of an elongated tubular conduit 114, the other end of which is fixedly secured within the first-mentioned end of the pipe 18. A butterfly valve 116 is mounted on a shaft 118 having an end thereof projecting through the side wall 60. A manually operated handle 120 is fixed secured on the projecting end of the shaft 118.

In operation, the cover member 44 is removed from the upper ends of the cylindrical members 12 and 28. The grain to be dried is then poured into the wire mesh cylindrical .member 28 and the cover replaced. The

. valve'106 is turned toits closed position as shown in Fig- 12 below the closure wall 26. The air then circulates.

upwardly between the cylindrical members 12 and 28 and, being under pressure, will pass through the grain. As this circulation of air takes place, moisture is removed from the interior of the grain kernels and this moisture becomes entrained with the air and discharges from the grain through the wire mesh member 36.

At this point, some of the moisture laden air is discharged through the conduit 38 into the atmosphere while a greater portion thereof will pass downwardly through the conduit 18 and the pipe 114 to the plenum chamber 50. The continuous actuation of the blower 64 brings about a recycling of the moistened air.

The continued recycling of the moisture bearing air through the grain prevents a hard coating from forming on the grain, the latter being objectionable to grain purchasers.

After the moisture within the grain kernels has been substantially reduced from theinterior thereof, the electrical heating elements 92 are energized in order to circulate hot air, substantially devoid of moisture, through the grain. At this time the valve 106 is turned to its open position and the valve 116 is moved to its closed position. 'When the desired degree of dryness has been obtained, the motor 78 and the heating elements 92 are deenergized. The removable cover 44 is then taken from the upper ends of the cylindrical members 12 and 28, and the grain within the wire mesh cylindrical member 28 is then removed.

Having described'and illustrated one embodiment of this invention, it will be understood that the same is ofiered merely by way of example, and that the invention is to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims. d

What is claimed is:

l. A grain drier comprising an elongated substantially hollow cylindrical member having a closure wall at one end thereof, a grain receiving elongated substantially hollow cylindrical wire mesh member having a closure member at one end thereof, said wire mesh member being disposed within said first cylindrical member. in con; centric relationship and with said closure members dissaid aperture formed in the closure member of said first cylindrical member with said flange adjacent the marginal edge of said aperture, the other end of said pipe engaging through said aperture formed in said closure member of said grain receiving cylindrical member with said flange adjacent thereto engaging the marginal edge of said last-named aperture, an elongated cylindrical 1 member formed of wire mesh disposed within said grain receiving cylindrical member and having an end thereof secured to said other end of said pipe, the other end of said cylindrical member being fixedly secured to one end of a conduit having its other end secured within said aperture formed in said removable closure memben'and means connected with said figrstcylindrical member for posed in spaced confronting juxtaposition, a remchlable closure member extending across and supported on the other ends of said cylindrical members, said closure members each having a centrally positioned aperture extending therethrough and aligned with each other, an elongated pipe having a radial fiange adjacent each end thereof, said pipe having an end thereof extending through circulating air within said first, second and third cylindrical members.

2. A grain drier as defined in claim 1, and last-named means comprising a blower.

3. A grain drier as defined in claim 1, saidlast-named means comprising a blower, and means for heating 'the air discharged from said blower.

4. A grain drying bin, comprisingan elongated substantially hollow cylindrical member having a closure member at one end thereof, a second elongated substantially hollow cylindrical member formed of wire mesh disposed within said' first, cylindrical, member, a closure member for one end o'f'said second cylindrical member,

a third elongated substantially cylindrical member formed of wire mesh 'and disposed'within said second cylindrical member, means securing said. cylindrical members in coaxial spaced relationship, means supporting said closure member of sai'd second cylindrical member in spaced confronting relationship relative to said closure member for said first cylindrical member, an air impelling device, means connecting the discharge side of said air impelling device with said first cylindrical'member adjacent its said closure member, means for heating the air discharged from said air im pelling device, a removable cover extending across the other ends of said first and second cylindrical members, said removable cover having a centrally positioned opening formed therein, a conduit having one of its ends fixedly, secured within said opening, said conduit having the other of its ends connected with one end of said third cylindrical member, the other end of'said third cylindrical member being connected with one end of a substantially hollow tubular conduit, and means connecting the other end of said last-namedtubular conduit with theQintake port of said blower.

' References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES 691,209 Tweedale et al. Jan. 14, 1902 1,041,523 Smith Oct. 15, 1912 1,094,452 Mayo 'et al. Apr. 28, 1914 1,669,012 Nordstrom' ..c .May 8, 1928 V V FOREIGN PATENTS France Mar. 4, 1929 

